


Washed in with the tide

by candles_to_stars



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alec is a student, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, College, Curses, Dolphins, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Magnus is a mermaid, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Stranded, mermaid, mermaid au, student
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-05
Updated: 2016-10-26
Packaged: 2018-05-31 12:31:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 16,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6470089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/candles_to_stars/pseuds/candles_to_stars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alexander Lightwood's quiet student life is disturbed the moment he steps foot on the beach that night.</p><p>Or: The mermaid AU nobody asked for</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The sun was setting, hanging low in the sky and just barely staying above the horizon, as Alec Lightwood was finishing up on the required coursework due that evening. He normally wasn’t the type to procrastinate anything or ignore the fact the work even existed until the last possible moment, but that was exactly what he’d done this time. Pretend the assignment didn’t make up 60% of his final grade for this course and tell himself he’d still had plenty of time to finish it up on another day. _Any_ other day.  
It’d just been so boring. He’d had to write a paper on the effects of ocean pollution on the habitat of the Aurelia Aurita – some sort of jellyfish. Everything following the international guidelines of scientific publications. It was downright hellish. He was about 96% sure hell consisted simply of having to check your credentials on any misplaced comma’s.  
And as if that wasn’t enough, he couldn’t care less about jellyfish. That obviously wasn’t the kind of spirit one would expect when studying oceanology, but he didn’t care much about that either. Not that little he would tell his classmates he hated jellyfish, but little enough to tell them he hated writing this paper at the very least. They were jellyfish for angel’s sake. And he _knew_ all animals were important, and yes, the slightest shift in any of the components involved could cause whole species to die and villages to starve because there weren’t any fish to catch. But still. They were jellyfish. And he had to triple-check his references on stray dots because his professor was a pain in his students’ ass. 

-

By the time he’d re-read and edited everything, the sun had sunk halfway underneath the horizon. When he’d finally submitted his work online, it had set completely. Turning off his laptop and facing away from the west-viewing window, Alec stretched his arms above his head, felling his muscles groaning and stretching every which way before giving a content sigh. His eyes burned and he felt a headache coming up just in the middle of his forehead. This was the way he always felt when he’d spent too much time staring at a lit-up computer screen inside his small apartment. The air-conditioning had been out for a few weeks now, and with the pressing, wind-still weather outside, even opening all the windows had no real effect.  
  
He decided he had to get out, even if it was the only time he’d spend outside today, he couldn’t stay in anymore. He’d been scooped inside all day, only moving to get new coffee or water or multi-grain cookies in the kitchen when he ran out of either at his desk.  
There was no way he would stay in here any longer now that it wasn’t necessary anymore.  
  
Without hesitating, he jumped up from his chair and walked out of the door. He was still wearing the track pants he’d pulled on this morning, and combined with the grey T-shirt, he was all set for a little jog. It didn’t matter this was the same shirt he’d been wearing yesterday. He didn’t plan to meet anyone on this run, so it was perfectly acceptable. And who would even bother to care about his work-out clothes? Sure, Isabelle would get a heart attack, but she was far away at the other side of the city, still residing in their parents’ house. He himself had left that place as soon as he started university, it being the perfect excuse to get away from the homophobic comments of his father and the disappointed looks of his mother.  
  
Trying to get rid of these thoughts, he shook his head and began running at a relaxed pace to warm up a bit. There weren't many people out. It was late already, almost everyone was inside, getting ready for bed. As the summer hadn't yet begun and tourist season was still relatively far away, the beach was deserted. Anyone who'd been there before to admire the sunset from a better place than a bedroom window had long since left. No vendors trying to sell their overpriced sunglasses. No screaming children whose parents didn't want to go back to the hotel just yet. No couples all but having sex on the sand. This was the time of year Alec preferred. Where he could just go for a run and appreciate the silence as well as the warm weather that still carried the reminder what the sun had felt like with it. A little pressing and humid, but without the fiery sting of the day.

-

He had only just begun running for earnest when he saw it. Though the beach was deserted and the only shapes were created by the rocks hugging the coastline, there was something laying at the edge of the water. In the dark, he couldn't make out much more than a vague outline against the pale sand. He would've normally shrugged it off, letting it pass for seaweed or garbage someone dumped there, but something was off about the shape. Strange enough to make him slow down his pace and turn his head until he was at the same height as whatever it was.  
For a second, he just stood there at the edge of the path. Wiping the almost non-existent sweat of his brow and turning his head to check for anyone other than him, but as he'd noted before, the streets were empty. Or rather: deserted.  
  
Alec shook his head. He didn't need to start acting dramatic, his sister had enough of that to sustain the rest of their family with ease.  
Determinedly ignoring the shiver that ran up his spine as he stepped off the tarmac and out on the sand of the beach, he began walking towards the unidentified shape. It was probably because the tarmac had held the warmth of the day, so that it seemed colder out on the sand.  
Besides, the shape was probably nothing. Garbage or something like that, as he'd assumed before. People dumped their shit on the beach all the time, you could just ask his paper.  
Maybe a homeless person or a drunk falling asleep on the wrong place. Maybe a drunk homeless person.  
The most interesting case was this being a stranded animal. Sometimes dolphins or small whales would get lost and end up by the coastline, unable to get back in the water by themselves.  
  
He was just a few more steps away from whatever it was when he heard it. A low, soft whine. The kind of sound someone might make when they were lost or bumped themselves right where a bruise had already formed the day before (something he had a lot of experience with, having lived with Jace foe the better part of his life).  
'O, angel!' He murmured when the sound registered. It was a sound made by humans. There was actually a person laying there! 'Crap!'  
His fingers fumbled when they tried to pull out his phone, as quickly as he could turning on the flashlight build into it and crouching next to whoever it was.  
The moment he shone the light on the person on the sand though, he lunged backwards, a gasp the only reason he didn't curse. His cell phone fell into the sand, landing a bit sideways and illuminating the scene before him.  
  
What he'd at first assumed to be a man, was only half of it. No. That wasn't right. He was only half human. A smooth, pale chest ended at his waist, smoothly changing into dark scales covering a tail. A fish tail.  
  
By the angel, this was not happening. This was all a dream. He'd fallen asleep above his laptop again and was hallucinating. It was the only explanation. It had to be. He was sleep deprived and conjuring up images of his study combined with reality.  
  
And he would've convinced himself of that if the mermaid -merman? - before him hadn't chosen that exact moment to open his eyes. For a moment, all Alec could register were unfocused, bright yellow eyes. Then, those eyes landed on him, and came into abrupt focus, widening almost comically before the boy began to move.  
High, distressed noises seemed to come from nowhere as he struggled to get away from Alec, the tones getting more pained and desperate the more he tried. Right now, Alec didn't think it sounded like a human anymore. It was like the noises a dolphin made when he'd lost his family. It was a heart breaking sound.  
  
And that was the moment he takes his eyes down the merman's body once more, his eye catching the thin, clear plastic lines trapping his arms to his sides and cutting into his skin. The reason the merman - boy - was there to begin with. The net had cut into his skin so harsh red lines were formed, framed by stark white flesh where circulation was being cut off.  
  
'O, shit.' He'd never been one for swearing, but today, he'd reached his weekly quota already. It seemed only appropriate though. He kneeled and his hands flew forward to try and detangle the line, but the only thing he managed was the merman lurching back violently. His curious eyes were wide and black, staring up at him like shimmering twin pools of moonlight. His nostrils stood out wide and Alec could hear the air wheezing in and out of them.  
  
The realization hit him hard in the stomach. The merman was afraid of him. He was so scared he rather reel back and hurt himself even more than accept his help. It hurt more than he would've probably expected if he'd had to think about it beforehand.  
  
'Shhh, it's all right. I won't hurt you,' he shushed in his best calming tone. Unfortunately for him, the tone worked better on his little brother than it did on a stranded merman. ‘It’s going to be all right, I just want to help you. Please.’ The sound he got in response was more sad and helpless than anything, and he reached out carefully, slow, so that the other could see what he was doing with his hands. Confirm for himself he wasn’t going to get hurt by Alec. The moment his hands touched the lines and abused flesh surrounding it, two tears streamed down the creature’s cheeks. Alec wanted nothing more than wipe them away, but refrained from doing so. The touch would be unwanted and intrusive, probably ending in the other hurting himself even more.  
  
It took only half a minute though, for Alec to find out he couldn’t untangle the net then and there on the beach. The unforgiving plastic was wound so tightly around the creature, he couldn’t even get two fingers between it and the boy’s skin. Looking at the face of the boy, he saw the merman’s eyes had slipped closed, though his breathing was still too harsh. His expression was pained and distorted, and he made a split-second decision. As softly as he could, he slipped his arms underneath the other, and when he got no reaction, lifted him up towards his chest.  
This might be the worst idea he’d ever had.


	2. Chapter 2

This really wasn't his best idea.  
  
He hadn't stopped to think about how far he'd ran already, and the merman in his arms was heavy. Much heavier than one would expect when faced with his skinny chest. Alec should have known better though. Thinking about it now, he figured the tail was most probably almost completely made out of muscles. During the walk, the boy hadn't stirred. He still looked pained, but he was so still Alec would've feared he'd died, hadn't he been able to feel the other’s chest expand and deflate against his own.  
  
By the time he was back home, he could only thank his lucky stars no one had seen them (once again, he hadn’t thought this through), and for the fact his apartment's elevator had been restored two weeks prior. His muscles hurt so much he didn't think he could make it up to the third floor. Getting inside was a challenge on its own, but in the end, he could lower the unconscious boy down into the tub that took up half of his small bathroom. His arms shook so much, he had to sit down on the lid of the toilet, waiting for them to stop.  
  
Now that he finally sat in his own room, with the bright overhead lights illuminating the scene before him, he could look at the mysterious creature. Even here, he could barely believe his discovery. With his arms and muscles shaking and exhausted from hauling him back home, and still able to feel his weight, his scales under his fingers. He could reach out and feel his cold skin, rake his hands down his chest. All the evidence was right in front of him, but he still didn’t quite believe what his senses told him.  
  
And what he did see, was a beautiful face with high cut cheekbones. A clear caramel skin and a tail in a dark shade of brown, easily mistaken for black. Nails in the same colour and even darker, dripping hair clinging to his forehead. And the nets twisting all around his smooth chest, tail, arms and neck. Eyelids fluttering as if he was having a nightmare. Shallow breaths pulled in through his nose. For a second, a though crossed Alec’s mind: what if he couldn’t survive on the land? What if he had to be underwater in order to breathe properly? Would he die here, with Alec unable to do anything because he made the wrong choice? He quickly shook his head, banning all thoughts along that path from his mind. He’d survived up until know, and he was a mammal. He had to be, seeing as he was half human. He had nipples, and though he didn’t see a belly button on his stomach, fish didn’t have nipples. Or straight noses. Or full mouths. He had to have lungs. So if he had lungs, and was a mammal, he could breathe in dry air. He would be fine, he would be able to keep this up. He was probably only breathing this heavily because he was hurt and because the nets was constricting his chest and cutting off his throat.  
_The nets._  
After a quick check on his hands to assess the shaking, he got up and made for his desk, gripping the pair of scissors he kept there in a drawer. While trying to close it again, his unsteady fingers slipped on the handle. Sighing, he left it open and rested his hands on the edge of the desktop. He couldn’t lose it now. He’d made the decision to take the merman back home to help him, and freaking out wouldn’t help. It didn’t matter he was exhausted and spend and couldn’t grasp the turn his life had taken an hour ago. He’d said he’d help him, so he would. He took exactly ten seconds to calm his breathing and focus on a dent in his desktop, and then straightened.  
  
He slammed the drawer closed with renewed determination, and turned back to the bathroom. The other hadn’t stirred, still motionless against the white porcelain and tiles that covered the walls and floor. Alec’s hands were sure now that he’d calmed down a bit and had set himself a goal he could easily reach.  
_Get the net off. Just get the net off. Worry about the rest later._  
  
The scissors cut through the plastic easily, making it fall away and exposing the extent of damage they’d done. All across the body in front of him, angry red lines marred the flesh. At the very least, the white, bloodless skin returned to a healthier shade now that the lines were being snapped away. At a few places – his upper arms, the soft sides of his neck – the thin lines had cut into the skin, equally thin lines of blood showing. When his fingers brushed against the unharmed flesh, it felt too cold for his liking, but he couldn’t focus on that right now.  
  
He just kept snapping the cords away, all the while softly whispering to the unresponsive boy. He didn’t even know whether he understood what Alec was saying, but he felt better while doing it, more like he was taking care of a human. It made the situation seem more normal. He didn’t even know if the other could understand what he was saying – he barely understood what he was saying himself – but he didn’t care.  
  
By the time all the lines were cut, Alec was ready to drop face down on his couch and sleep for the next fifteen hours. Still, he didn’t let himself get out of the bathroom just yet. The cuts weren’t something he could do something about, being as shallow and thin as they were, but he was still caring for a merman. He figured being on dry land for too long wasn’t perfect for him. Turning on the cold water – the ocean wasn’t warm either, and he didn’t want to risk the boy bleeding more than necessary by submerging him in hot water –, he watched as it crept up in the tub, slowly filling it till a few inches under the edge so that it wouldn’t spill when the merman moved. By the moment he turned off the water and walked out of the bathroom to give the boy some privacy – and himself some rest. His bed was on the other side of the apartment, but instead of walking over all the way, he gave up halfway through the trek, instead opting to collapse onto the couch.  
  
A frustrated and tired groan escaped him, and he reached back to pull the blanket he kept there over him. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the first time he fell asleep without making it to his bedroom. During exams periods, he sometimes slept there for a whole week, opting to switch the small cushions his couch came with for his pillow. He was so accustomed to sleeping on his couch, he automatically folded his body to where he was most comfortable, laying mostly on his favourite side of the couch, his legs spreading out over to the other side. His shoulder fitted into the indentation in the stuffing, making itself at home in the place. He didn’t expect himself to fall asleep any time soon, despite his tired mind and exhausted body, but apparently, he was wrong. The moment he closed his eyes, all thoughts of mermaids and cold skin and red, angry marks and papers and class flew from his mind, and sleep tugged him down and away from his body, drifting in the nothingness of oblivion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit shorter than the other, but otherwise it would've felt forced. I hope it's better this way.
> 
> I want to thank all of you for leaving comments, you're such sweethearts! I don't have the time to reply to each and every one individually, but I really appreciate them! Please keep me updated on you're thoughts and I'll keep this story updated ;)


	3. Chapter 3

Alec was having rather pleasant dream. He didn't remember what'd happed in it exactly, but the moment he woke up, he knew that he'd rather stayed asleep instead of facing reality. Add to that the fact that he'd been woken quite roughly on a day he could finally sleep in without missing deadlines or classes, and the day was already off to a great start.  
Not.  
  
And then there was the added fact that at first, he didn't even know what'd woken him up. The sun was barely up and his living-room windows all faced west either was. His phone was silent, neither his alarm nor his ringtone disrupting the quiet that hung in the apartment.  
  
Or at least, he thought it was quiet at first. His ears strained as a soft splash sounded from the bathroom, followed by a high keen.  
The memories of what'd happened last night came crashing in, and he groaned.  
  
'Angels.' His hands fisted in his hair while he tried to ignore the sounds coming from behind the closed door. Maybe if he ignored it, it would stop, realizing it wouldn't help with getting any attention. Or because he was just imagining this and he had to stop his own mind from freaking the hell out. He was freaking out enough on his own, he didn't need his mind playing tricks on him if he could help it.  
  
Ignoring whatever was happening worked for about half a minute. Then another splash sounded, and he forced himself to get up and stop his bathroom from floating.  
‘I get it, I get it, I’m coming already,’ he muttered to himself, rubbing his eyes to get at least a bit of the sleep out of them. He had to use the bathroom as well, but that would’ve to wait, he could use the separate toilet later today. First, he had to make sure a merman hadn’t killed himself in his bathroom.  
  
‘Are you okay?’ He asked the moment he pushed the door open. A gasp sounded and his gaze landed on the merman immediately. The boy’s eyes were big and round, staring at him with not even barely concealed horror. The floor was covered in water and his tail was folded up and twisted to fit into the tub, not how he’d left the other last night. That would explain the splashing sounds. He’d tried to get more comfortable.  
  
His attention was once again caught as the boy moved, sinking further into the water, but his jaw literally dropped as suddenly, the merman looked completely different. His previously dark tail, hair and nails were now coloured a stark white, making it hard to look at them properly, or even make them out against the white of the bathroom. He’d dropped so low into the water, the only thing left above were his eyes and hair, his eyes the only thing still their old, unsettling colour. They were trained on him as he was standing there, taking in the change.  
  
With a shock, Alec recognized the crypsis some animals used to avoid being seen by predators, adaptive coloration. The merman was taking on the colour of his surroundings as best as he could to avoid Alec seeing him. He was thinking of Alec as a threat.  
  
The realisation made him falter and halt just inside the bathroom, unable to even close the door behind him because he was still standing in the opening. He felt frozen in his place while these big, golden eyes followed his every move as if he would soon sweep in and kill him. It broke his heart a bit. He wanted to say something, something to make this right and calm the other down, but words failed him, as they did so often when he was faced with casual conversation and strangers.  
  
‘I’m sorry,’ he finally sprouted, wincing a bit at the sound of his own voice. He sounded unsure and rough to his own ears, and he still didn’t know whether or not the creature even understood a word of what he was saying. Going for the non-verbal options of communication, he slowly raised his hands, palms up – not a threat, not armed – and lowered himself unto the floor so that they were at roughly the same height instead of towering over him while he was laying helplessly in the tub.  
Not a threat.  
  
‘I won’t hurt you,’ he was now speaking to the pair of eyes, the only thing left he could see from his new position, keeping his voice soft and soothing. ‘I just want to help. You were injured and unconscious. I didn’t mean to scare you either. I’m sorry.’ Now he was just babbling really. That sometimes happened when he was unsure of how to proceed. ‘My name is Alec. Well, it’s actually Alexander, but nobody calls me that except for my parents. Alec Lightwood. Do you have a name?’  
  
Subconsciously, he held his breath. This would be the moment he would most probably discover he was just talking to himself because the merman couldn’t understand a word he was saying – why would he, when he’d lived in the ocean his whole previous life? There was no use for this kind of language there, they probably just used the sounds he’d heard the boy make earlier, like dolphins.  
  
But then, the other boy stirred a bit, his eyes raising a little further from the tub and though Alec couldn’t see his mouth and his eyes still held a scared and suspicious look in them, he heard a single word: ‘Magnus.’  
  
_Magnus._ Alec took in a break so sharp he could feel it cut between his teeth. He did understand. He knew what Alec was saying. _Magnus._ He had an accent Alec couldn’t quite bring home, something soft that give his voice a lilt. Something melodic.  
  
‘Magnus,’ he whispered in response. The other was still looking at him with untrusting eyes. ‘How are you feeling?’ His own gaze flicked over the little skin he could still see, already aware of how the marks he’d noticed the night before still stood out against his neck. And maybe he was imagining it now that his hair was white, but his cheeks looked red. The merman didn’t answer, instead narrowing his eyes and pulling up his shoulders in a self-protecting manner. Trying not to be discouraged by this – he’d talked to him, told him his name, he understood what he was doing –, he slowly put out a hand, palm facing upwards.  
  
‘Can I…?’ He let the end of his sentence drift away as he purposefully scooted forwards a little, his hand still out and open. The other’s eyes shot towards his peace offering, but he didn’t move again, didn’t say anything. Taking that as a step in the good direction, Alec came a bit closer still, until he could look over the edge of the bathtub to inspect the red lines the net had left the night before. He could feel a pair of yellow eyes burning into the back of his head as he looked over the merman’s – Magnus’ – smooth chest, for a second lingering on the spot his belly button should’ve been. The lines that had been so evidently vicious last night were now barely visible, just a slightly reddish-pink colour against his darker skin.  
  
‘Those are healing pretty well,’ he murmured softly, half talking to himself, before turning his head the other way to look at Magnus, holding out the same hand towards his neck. ‘Can I just…’ Again, he didn’t finish, but the other seemed to get what he was asking, as he obediently turned his face to the side so Alec could better inspect his neck. The cuts were closed and no longer bleeding, but there was a slight crust of dried blood around them.  
  
Keeping his actions slow so that Magnus could see what he was doing, he pulled a washcloth from the bottom shelve beneath his bathroom sink, dipping it in the now cold water before moving it towards the marred skin.  
  
The moment he touched it, Magnus flinched away, taking a hitched breath and pulling up his shoulders again. He bit his lip while watching Alec and his washcloth.  
‘I’m sorry, does it hurt?’ Alec pulled back a bit to give Magnus a bit more space to relax in. The boy slowly nodded, bringing his own hand up to feel at the skin before closing his eyes and sinking back against the edge of the tub.  
  
The behaviour was so different from how he’d acted around Alec up until this moment, alarm bells were immediately going off in his head. He’d never closed his eyes before he fell unconscious. He’d struggled against Alec coming closer even when it meant hurting himself. His eyes hadn’t stopped following him and he sure as hell had never looked this relaxed. Or maybe he should call it slumped.  
  
‘Magnus? Magnus are you awake?’ Refraining yet to touch the boy least he hurt him again. His eyelids fluttered and Alec could just make out a sliver of gold underneath them. ‘Magnus?’  
  
‘’M awake.’ A shiver ran over his back hearing that voice again, even weak and soft like that. His eyes had slipped closed again. Throwing all carefulness overboard, Alec reached out and carefully pressed a hand against the other’s forehead. Now, it was Magnus’ time to shiver, violently enough for Alec to notice. And though he was shivering, the skin of his forehead was burning.  
  
‘Magnus, you’re burning up.’ Worry now laced his voice and he pressed his hand against a red cheek. It wasn’t because of his white hair his face looked so red, it was because he was having a fever! A sigh left the merman’s lips as he pressed more of his face into Alec’s touch. How had he not thought this could happen last night? How could he have been that stupid? But he knew how, it just never occurred to him mermaids could get sick too. He’d been so tired his mind had shoved away every thought that wasn’t immediate and clear survival.  
  
‘It’s cold.’ Those were the only two words needed to pull him out of his worry-induced haze and push him into action. He reached into the tub and pulled out the plug, ignoring how the sleeve of his T-shirt was now soaking wet and instead focussing on how Magnus wrapped his arms around his torso, curling in on himself in order to preserve as much body heat as possible. Not even waiting for the last of the water to disappear into the drain, he grabbed the shower nuzzle, turning on the warm water before plugging the drain again.  
  
‘Is this okay? Or is the water to hot?’ Carefully, he moved the nuzzle over the other’s tail, wondering if this would even work, if he would burn the other’s skin because he wasn’t used to the warmth. Magnus groaned softly, but he didn’t move away from the spray, instead turning towards it. Alec could just make out a soft “okay”, before he relaxed again, sinking a little lower into the tub which was now filled with warm, almost hot water. The tips of his hair gradually turned back to black, though the rest stayed the same, stark white colour it’d taken on not long ago.  
  
‘Magnus? Magnus, are you with me?’ He put out a hand to touch the other’s face. ‘Magnus?’ But no reaction came from the boy currently inhabiting his tub. With a sigh, he ran his hand down his face. At least he could clean the blood away like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took a bit longer than the others, I'm sorry. Turns out I can't ignore my study forever.  
> Thank you all for your reactions and kudos, they mean the world!  
> I hope you enjoyed this! Let me know!


	4. Chapter 4

Sitting on the closed toilet lid and looking down on the merman, Alec though about how Magnus was pretty amazing.  
First of all: he was gorgeous. Now that he wasn't dying, caught in a net or frowning, he could see the sharp cheekbones underneath his caramel skin. His curving eyebrows and full lips and slightly up turned nose. He was still mostly white, just the tips of his hair had gone back to their original black, and it stood out in a stark contrast against his complexion. His lashes were still black as well, throwing elegant, long shadows beneath his eyes. It all made him look like he came from Asia, instead of from the sea. Did merfolk have different ethnicities? Alec honesty couldn't tell, but his point was: Magnus looked better than any human he'd ever seen. Wasn’t that some kind of siren thing? He thought that had something to do with singing, but did beauty come with the package? He might have to look it up, just to be sure.  
  
And the second reason why Alec was intrigued like he this, was because of the puzzle he presented. He couldn't help but be fascinated on an academic level as well as a personal. He was breathing easily now, so he had to be a mammal. But if he had lungs, how did he breathe underwater? Did he have to come up for air like whales and dolphins? Or did he have some different kind of method that allowed him to breathe there? Alec didn't see any gills or something like that. And speaking of things he didn't see, how didn't he have a belly button if he was indeed a mammal? Or was he something else entirely? Something he didn't have a name for? Some kind of in-between species like a platypus?  
  
Either way, Alec couldn't help but stare.

  
-  


After about half an hour, Alec had once more filled the bath tub with hot water and decided to go find himself some breakfast. His fridge was discouragingly empty, just a few slices of bread, half a jug of milk and the remnants of his dinner two days ago. Hunting through his cabinets, he also found some herbs, salt, jam and crackers. There hadn't been much time for groceries these past few days, and he was making a list of things he needed in his own head while spreading jam on a few pieces of bread. Munching down on them, he realized Magnus would probably need something to eat as well. What would a mermaid need to eat? He imagined the other boy biting into a pb&j sandwich and laughed into his breakfast.  
He would ask about it the moment the other woke up again.  
  
He was pulled out of his thoughts by the buzzing sound his phone made on the counter top. Picking up the device with his free hand, he noticed all the messages his little sister Isabelle left him, and instantly felt bad for not checking it the whole morning.

-Izzy 05:17-  
_Hey big Bro, you survived past last night?_  
-Izzy 05:30-  
_Do you have class today?_  
-Izzy 05:44-  
_I'll be off to the gym, message me to let me know whether you're dead_  
\- 05:45-  
_Actually, don't do that, I'm not feeling like a zombie apocalypse today_  
-Izzy 07:21-  
_Seriously, you okay?_

Usually, Alec would be up for a run or classes or anything like that by now, and would've answered her texts long ago telling her about his night, coursework and any other thing that came to his mind. Right now though, he was struggling to come up with a single text to let her know he wasn't dead in a ditch somewhere.

-Alec 07:24-  
Still alive, though barely :(

It felt too stilled and impersonal, so he added the smiley at the end to make it more like something he would send on a normal day, when he didn't have to keep a mermaid hidden in his bath.

-Izzy 07:25-  
_Don't you have to go to class or something?_  
-Alec 07:26-  
_Nope, I'm free the next couple of days, thank the Angel_  
-Izzy 07:26-  
_Hahahahahaha_

He was just smiling down at his phone in the kitchen, plate in his other hand and thinking about what to say now that things were feeling slightly more normal, when he heard a soft: 'Alexander?' coming from the bathroom.  
  
All thoughts about texting and his little sister flew from his head as he mindlessly stuffed his cell in the back pocket of his jeans and all but ran towards the door obscuring Magnus from his sight. In those ten steps, he imagined Magnus throwing up, Magnus not getting any air, Magnus falling out of the bath and hurting himself, but upon entering the smaller room, he didn't see anything wrong with the boy. Golden eyes stared up at him with obvious relieve, before flitting back down. Alec rushed towards the bath - Magnus flinched at his sudden movements - and checked the mermaid all over. Finding nothing wrong, he released his breath and sunk down upon the toilet lid. Magnus was looking up at him from underneath his eyelashes, his brows pulled down while he eyed Alec in his typical assessing way.  
  
'I thought you'd left,' he whispered after a second, barely loud enough to be heard, even though there wasn't more than a few feet between them. A little laugh escaped Alec, pulling his hand through his hair and realizing he was still holding his plate in his hand. Motioning to the half-eaten slices of bread he explained in a little exasperated tone: 'I was making breakfast, and then Izzy texted me, asking why I wasn't answering.' Remembering his previous thoughts, he held up his plate and added: 'Do you need anything to eat?'  
  
Magnus shook his head, though he was looking at Alec bringing the sandwich to his mouth with obvious interest. Alec himself watched patiently and half amused as Magnus opened and closed his mouth a few times before finally bringing up the courage to ask what he wanted to ask.  
  
'Who's Izzy?' A light dusting coloured his cheeks, but it was impossible to tell if it came from the warmth, his light fever or something else entirely.  
'She's my sister, Isabelle,' Alec explained after swallowing, a dopey grin on his face now that Magnus was talking to him more. 'I've got a brother as well, Jace. He's even more of a pain than Iz. More about them later, if you want to at least. How are you feeling?' At first, he only got a shrug as answer, but after a few seconds, Magnus tentatively spoke up, as if still afraid Alec was going to use whatever he said against him.  
'Better, I guess. My head still hurts, though.'  
'Would you like some Advil?' Alec asked after placing another hand on Magnus' forehead to check his temperature again, which lead to an explanation of what Advil was and how one took it. Apparently, it worked on mermaids as well as on humans, as it took Magnus just a few minutes to relax all the way down into the water and hum contently. 

  
-  


And that was how they spend most of the day. Talking and sharing stories. Well, Alec did most of the talking, but he didn't care. Magnus was an attentive listener and the responses he got - few and short and far in between as they were - made him grin happily, his face and chest glowing with a feeling he couldn't identify.  
  
It was probably around two - and really, Alec needed to do something constructive today, but he could bring himself to do it - when _it_ happened. Alec was just in a passionate and fervent story featuring Jace and their old family cat, when suddenly, Magnus reached out and placed a dripping wet hand over Alec's knee. The material was immediately damp, but Alec didn't care. He faltered in his story, instead opting to watch Magnus. The other's gaze was glued to where his hand touched Alec, carefully running his fingers up and down the bone, pressing against the kneecap from the side, only to watch it pop back into place. He seemed so engulfed by this, he didn't seem to notice Alec had stopped talking.  
  
'I can pull it up, if you'd like?' When all he got in return was a look as blank as a sheet of paper, he pulled back a bit so that he could roll up the pants leg.  
  
Magnus' face lit up in excitement, and that was how they spent the next few hours: Alec watching Magnus watching his legs. The tiny hairs, the kneecap, his feet and ankle. Sometimes, Magnus would ask something, but mostly he just looked, with Alec explaining the occasional concept or word to him. The merman was being so adorably invested into something as simple as legs, Alec couldn’t help but be endeared – he was not smitten. He refused to think of himself as smitten with a boy he didn’t even know, and was barely a boy at all, just on the top - by him.  
It was an calm way to spend the afternoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I was reminded, this has taken me a long time. I'm sorry for letting you all wait, and I'll be trying to update again ASAP (hahaha, right....).  
> Anyway: Magnus talks more? I know he isn't acting like in the books (of series/ movie if you've watched those), but he, try to imagine what you would be like when you're suddenly locked away in an unknown place with an unknown person of a species you've learned to distrust ;)  
> Anyway, as always, I just hope you've liked this, let me know! Next up, specially for @magicscales166, Magnus' POV!


	5. Chapter 5

Alexander was nice. And handsome. The second one wasn't all that surprising, Magnus had seen humans on boats and walking alone the shore, looking at them from a safe distance. But Alexander was particularly nice on the eyes. Better than most humans he’d observed in his days.  
  
And the thing about being nice, that wasn't something he'd expected at all. Ever since he was little, he'd heard stories about humans; about humans killing their people for fun, for sports. And later for science. Magnus thought science was just a fancy word humans used to excuse all their horrid deeds. Whenever they did something their morals wouldn’t approve off, they told everyone – including themselves – it had to be done in the name of science.  
  
For the merfolk, science was magic and healing, for humans, science was cutting and torture.  
  
Humans were evil. Humans were selfish. Humans couldn't be trusted. Humans only knew how to destroy, not how to build. If a human got their hands on you, you'd be better off dead.  
  
But Alexander wasn't like that at all. When he'd first saw the boy, he knew for sure he was going to die. Not from the wounds he'd sustained from the net, but at the hands of merciless, faceless humans cutting into his tail, his chest, his lungs, trying to figure out how he ticked until he bled to death in a featureless room, just the floor covered in red.  
  
Waking up in a tiny, white tiled room with a single door and no way of getting out and escaping from the little bit of water he was allowed, hadn't really made things better on the human's front.  
But Alexander had kept his distance. He'd been so soft and gentle and kind, and Magnus didn't trust him. He'd been sure it was a façade, and soon he or someone else would come and hold him down and...  
  
But that hadn't happened. Alec had taken care of the wounds he had on his neck. He'd taken care of _him_. Magnus shivered a bit at the thought, or maybe it was because of the difference in temperature between the water and the air. Or because of... He stopped that thought before it began. He couldn't be getting attached to a human. It was really the most stupid thing he could do right now.  
  
Sighing, he sunk down a little further into the water. No matter what, this place was way too small, and with Alexander out in the other room – the living room -, he was bored out of his mind. There were two different bottles in the rack above his head and he'd already read the text on both. Trice. He'd even used the one that said it would nurture his hair, washing it out in the water he’d been laying in. The stuff had turned the water a sickly white colour and stung his tail and cuts, so that he'd been forced to drain the so-called tub and fill it just as he'd seen Alexander do.  
He'd played with the water temperature and fiddled with the soft material of the towels and studied every inch of the floor, walls and ceiling and now, he was bored out of his mind. In the ocean, he'd miles and miles and miles of sea to explorer. Here, the most interesting thing he’d found was that one of the ceiling tiles was placed just a little bit crookedly. He wished Alexander would come back, but he'd gone to "make dinner". From what Magnus'd gathered, that meant he was making something to eat. Which was another thing he didn't understand, he’d already eaten this morning, Magnus had been there to witness. But apparently it was something humans needed in order to survive. It would be a shame if Alec died now. Not to mention terribly inconvenient.  
  
Right now, he was absentmindedly running the tap so that the water streamed down his fins. It was somewhat interesting to see the never ending stream changing course whenever he shifted a bit, but mostly, he was thinking about the old myths told by his people. Not the horror stories about humans, but the older ones yet. These stories told of love and tragedy. They were always the same: A mermaid would fall in love with a human and leave the ocean to be with them, and they would be happy. At least, for a little while. But though they looked the same, they weren't the same species, and the humans could never forget that. They would grow frustrated with the girls' inability to ever get any children with them, and in the end, the poor mermaid would be left behind; broken, used and utterly alone in a world that wasn't their own. Some would return to the sea and try to resume their old lives - unaware that these were lost in the years of abandonment -, and some would desperately end their own lives, so that they could still be with their dreams.  
All a bit dramatic for Magnus’ taste. People in the old stories sure loved that kind of thing – dramatics, love, hopelessness. But one could see why the shore was so alluring once you’d been there. Alec sure was alluring to Magnus. He didn’t know what it was about the boy, but he felt it nonetheless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter from Magnus' POV! I hope you've enjoyed this little peek inside his head! ^^  
> Let me know!  
> I've already started in the next chapter, but I don't know when I'll be able to finish and post it because of my internship. Please bear with me!


	6. Chapter 6

The next day, Alec brought his homework into the bathroom with him. He'd felt bad for leaving Magnus all on his own during the night, but he couldn't sleep in the bathroom and figured Magnus might like some peace and quiet himself. Considering how scared he'd been when Alec had first found him, he might not want the other in there with him while he slept. The thought made Alec unexpectedly sad, though he almost felt like a stalker just thinking about it.  
  
So now he had all his books littered across the closed toilet and the edge of the sink, he himself leaning with his back to the edge of the tub so that Magnus could see what he was doing.  
  
None too surprisingly, Magnus was a great asset while making his assignments. Too bad he couldn't be listed as a source. He only needed to see a picture of a certain fish to be able to tell Alec the name, habitat preferred food and things along the lines of: “They enjoy laying in the sun”, or: “One of those once bit my tail, I still have the scar”, upon which he would point out the tiniest white spot on his now bright orange tail.  
  
These things were still rare though. Mostly he would just look and listen to whatever Alec would tell him. It was peaceful and almost normal, not considering the fact that Magnus couldn’t leave the bathroom and had once again changed colour overnight. 

-  


It was after lunch that Magnus asked a question of his own. He’d been tense ever since Alec had re-entered the bathroom with his sandwich in hand. Less tense than he’d been in the very beginning, but more tense than he’d been the entire day. Alec had picked up on it immediately, but he was still tentative of pressing the merman into thing that might make him feel uncomfortable. But despite his resolve not to ask after whatever it was himself, he couldn’t help the fleeting glances he was shooting the other and worrying about whatever was wrong.  
Which is why he was infinitely glad when Magnus brought it up himself.  
  
‘Why are you doing all of this?’ His voice had grown a bit louder and a little more confident with each passing sentence, but now it was lowering again. Whatever this was about, it wasn’t really about him making his homework. Alec noticed Magnus’ small frown and how his eyes had drifted away to somewhere to the left of him. Trying not to let Magnus know he’d noticed something was off and smiling at the boy who wasn’t looking at him.  
  
‘It’s homework. I need to go through it for my study. I’m to become an oceanographer.’  
‘And to become an oceanographer you need to study fish?’ He wrinkled his nose in an adorable fashion that Alec couldn’t help but swoon over.  
‘Well, not just fish. We need to study almost everything that lives in the ocean, along with currents, environmental and pollution issues, that kind of thing. And if you know everything, you are officially deemed an oceanographer.’  
‘So am I an oceanographer?’ That made Alec laugh. Of course Magnus would come to that conclusion, he thought, based on what he’d just told him.  
‘Well, you probably could be one. You’d have to go to university though. Study, and get the papers that come with the title. Otherwise people might think you’ve obtained your knowledge in questionable ways.’ A small, shy smile grazed Magnus’ lips for a moment, but the next moment it was gone again, replaced by that distressed look he was obviously trying to supress.  
His voice grew even more quiet upon voicing his next question.  
  
‘What are you going to do once you’re an oceanographer?’ Something told Alec this was what he really wanted to know, though he was still uncertain as to why Magnus was so upset regarding Alec’s plans for the future. Not that Alec himself wasn’t upset whenever he thought about it – as a student, he tried to live day by day as much as possible. Week by week. Getting to the next semester. The future and any plans he had for it were vague and hard to explain outside of his own head. They were solely constructed upon hopes he’d build for himself and the views society pushed upon its members.  
  
‘I’m hoping to get to work with dolphins. There’s this place in Florida - at the East coast -,’ he added upon realizing Magnus probably didn’t know where Florida was. ‘They use the dolphins that live before the coast to help terminally sick children. There are promising results so far, though no one really knows why, despite all the theories going around.  
There are only a few people working there, all certificated to work with them and to make sure the animals are always top priority, but that’s what I’m hoping to do.’ Magnus was frowning now, deep in thought. During the story, he’d sunk lower and lower into the water, and now only his eyes remained above it.  
  
The silence that know hung in the air felt heavy, and it didn’t seem right to continue with his homework now, so he started closing his books and laptop, just to have something to do. But even once everything was in a neat pile on the seat of the toilet, the silence remained unbroken. Alec didn’t like not being able to gauge Magnus’ mood. Usually, he was so easy to read. Wary. Uncertain. Curious. Shy. All thing which showed upon his face clear as day. But this… this was none of these things and yet they looked somewhat alike. A combination of all these things and yet different. Components yet undetermined. Like tasting something and not being able to bring home all of the ingredients despite its familiar taste.  
  
‘Are you okay?’ He asked after some minutes, when he couldn’t handle the silence anymore. His hand was reaching out on his own but come to rest on the edge of the tub, not certain how to continue. Magnus looked up at him in surprise, like he’d forgotten Alec was still there.  
  
‘Yeah,’ he murmured, looking down at his tail and sinking down once more. His fingertips were gliding softly along the scales there, like he was deep in thought. And then Alec’s hand was in his hair, stroking the soft strands and feeling the warmth still radiating from underneath it. Magnus flinched for a second, but before Alec could pull away, he relax once more. It seemed the boy grew more and more at ease around Alec, and he couldn’t describe how happy that made him. A soft purr sounded form beneath his fingertips, and with a shock, he realized it was Magnus. The merman’s eyes slipped closed, and before he knew it, the breaths he could feel coming from the other had slowed.  
Smiling, he looked down upon the sleeping boy, feeling warm and protective, like he usually felt about his siblings, but stronger.  
  
He wanted to stay there and watch over him, but instead, he got up and moved towards the kitchen to get something to drink. The few leftovers he’d had were now gone, and his shelves were distressingly empty. He knew he had to get new groceries, but was reluctant to leave Magnus even when he was sleeping. Even to just go to the shop on the corner of the street. He peeked into the bathroom and saw the other still asleep.  
  
He’d be quick, he decided, and pulled the door closed. Maybe bring something for Magnus. What would a mythical creature like? He couldn’t help but wonder as he walked out of the door.  
  
Little did he know everything would go south real soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! I wanted to use this chapter to help the plot along, but it turned into a bit more character development and insight.  
> I've already planned the next chapter tho, and I'm looking forward to it a lot! Hope you do as well!
> 
> Lastly: Thank you all for your comments! They help me with my plot and motivation and I absolutely love them! Don't be shy to voice your thoughts, hihi!  
> Love,


	7. Chapter 7

When Alec came home, Magnus was having a nightmare. The high pitched noise he'd learned to recognize over the past days was coming from behind the closed door, echoing through the apartment in a desperate plea for help. Feeling his heart break and sink at the same time, Alec dropped the bag he was holding unceremoniously unto the floor next to the coffee table and sprinted to the bathroom, bursting in and having a strange sense of déjà -vu. He wondered if this was what his life would eventually become: Worrying about Magnus and waking him up every time he'd go to sleep and got a nightmare.

No, he needed to stop thinking like that. Magnus was only staying here for a little while longer and when he was completely healed and healthy, he would return the merman to the sea. Probably tonight or maybe tomorrow morning. The thought made his heart sink even lower into his chest. 

His hands were now on Magnus' face, taking in the pained frown and parted lips.   
'Magnus,' he whispered. 'Magnus, wake up, you're having a nightmare.'   
The skin his fingertips touched was hot to the touch and the merman whimpered when they moved to his neck, caressing the barely-there wounds. 

Suddenly, the golden eyes flew open and took in the scene before them. A gasp filled the air and the skin on Alec's arms prickled uncomfortably as Magnus pulled back, back, back. Pushing himself against the side of the tub, as far away from Alec as he could possibly get, every colour - orange, black - he'd taken on before flashed back to white so quickly it gave Alec a whiplash trying to process it. 

'No!' The word was pained and afraid, wrung form an unyielding throat. Panting, Magnus let his eyes flash around the bathroom before they settled back on Alec and he visibly relaxed. 

'Alexander.' And the word was a sigh. A carefully constructed smile crept across Alec's lips, held in place by sheer willpower and determination not to let Magnus see how pained and broken he'd felt finding the other like that. Like a wakeup call he didn't want, pulling him back into reality, making him realize Magnus didn't belong here. That he was a wild being not fit to live in a tub, no matter what he might've subconsciously whished for.

'Are you all right? Did you have a nightmare?' The gravitational pull Magnus seemed to radiate brought his fingers once more to his cheek, feeling his temperature. It was colder than before, impossibly so, considering the short amount of time they'd been disconnected, but Magnus...

He turned into the touch.  
Alec's heart melted a little.  
Or a lot.

'Yeah. A nightmare,' came the reply after a few moments of comfortable silence. The muscles of his shoulders visibly tensed. He looked away at the wall again, and his voice was tight.

'Do you want to talk about it?' Never before had Alec seen someone shake his head so fast.   
'That's okay,' Alec murmured, and he pulled his hand away to make the other more comfortable. He hadn't really expected him to do so, as he'd barely spoken ten constructive words - aside from the information he'd provided regarding fish. 'Are you okay with staying on your own for a bit? I need to make dinner. Or would you like me to stay a little longer? Because I could?' He was babbling again. It really wasn't a good trait, but it seemed to be something Magnus brought out in him. 'Or, if you want, I can bring you something in here?' He really needed to stop talking. He knew Magnus didn't need food the way humans did. And now Magnus was smiling that soft, small smile and shaking his head.

'I don't need anything, thank you. You go make dinner.' His nose wrinkled a bit at the last word, the concept still a bit foreign to him. And Alec...

Alec wanted to touch the angry red lines on his neck. Wanted to thread his fingers through those soft, damp locks. Wanted to stay here and talk, just to hear that soft voice once more.  
He turned around and walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind himself.  
Now was not the time to get attached to the merman. He wouldn't be here for much longer. It was probably too late for those kind of resolutions though.

-

While cutting up the tomatoes and cucumber for his salad, Alec was listening to his favourite song on repeat. The music blasted out of the tiny speakers of his phone, and he was doing a fairly good job of banning all thoughts except from dinner to the very back of his mind. So, it was very easy to blame the music for not immediately noticing someone he'd opened the door.  
It was hard not to notice though, when someone suddenly appeared behind you and said: 'Alexander lightwood, what in the angels name are you up to?' 

'O, shit!' The knife he'd been holding slipped and he pulled his hand back just in time. The perfect slice he'd been cutting was now a half moon with an identity crisis. He swirled around and faced the intruder. 'Izzy what is wrong with you? I could've cut myself!' After dumping the knife back on the countertop and turning off the music, he once again faced his sister, feeling his eyebrows pulling into a frown. 'What are you doing here?'

With as much sarcasm as one could possibly muster without being part cat, Isabelle rolled her eyes and answered sweetly: 'Can't a loving sister just visit her brother without any ulterior motives?' Upon which Alec simply glared. He was painfully aware of Magnus' presence in the bathroom, and wanted his sister out of his flat as soon as possible. _Please stay quiet, Magnus, please_. Never before had he regretted giving her a key this much. 

She rolled her eyes once more before answering his question.  
‘You weren’t answering to my texts. Again. And I know you Alec, when you haven’t got exams, your phone is practically glued to your hand. So tell me: what’s wrong?’ An indignant huff came from Alec’s lips. 

‘Nothing’s wrong,’ he immediately lied, and realising his intrusive and prying sister would never take that as an answer, added: ‘My phone’s been acting weird, constantly dying on me and only receiving half of the texts and calls.’ She looked so suspiciously, he knew she didn’t believe him. He would have to think of something to distract her, and right now. 

‘I haven’t bought enough groceries for you to stay for dinner, but would you help me cut them up? You can’t stay all too long though, after dinner, I really need to finish my homework.’ Her face lit up as if someone’d lit a lamp behind it. Asking Isabelle to cook while being within a six feet radius was just asking for an injury, but she loved doing it. It was the perfect distraction. 

Or rather: it would’ve been, if that hadn’t been the moment a loud crash and a muffled yell filled the small apartment.

Alec felt the blood drain from his face. His heart raced and in that moment, he forgot all about his sister. He ran to the bathroom so fast he crashed his shoulder against the door when he wrenched it open. Somewhere far away, he could feel Isabelle pressing in behind him, but he’d frozen in the doorway, hands clasping the knob and doorjamb. 

Magnus was lying on the floor, all tangled up in the shower curtain. The tips of his hair were white still, and his eyes just as uncanny as always, and from the bottom of the curtain, Alec could see a pair of slim calves and feet.  
He looked up and locked his eyes on the siblings, shooting from Alec to Isabelle and back again.

‘I fell,’ he said dazedly, looking down at his feet and trying to untangle them from the fabric. Behind his back, Isabelle whistled below her breath. 

‘Now I know why you didn’t touch your phone the past few days.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, the next chapter!  
> This was so much fun to write, and I hope you've enjoyed to read it! What did you think? Did you like Isabelle, and the ending? Let me know!
> 
> I don't know when the next chapter will be up (once again: school. I relate to first chapter Alec so much), but I'll do my best to post again ASAP!


	8. Chapter 8

Magnus clung to Alexander as if his life depended on it. He was currently set on the edge of what was apparently called a “bed”, and Alec was working on prying away the fingers that clutched at he hem of his shirt without tearing it.

‘Magnus, you need to let go, I need to get you some clothes to wear.’ Alec was a bright shade of pink Magnus would probably appreciate if he wasn’t so busy freaking out. His breaths came short, and when he wasn’t looking at Alec, he was looking at the door that currently obstructed his view of the unknown female.

‘Who is she? Is she going to take me?’ He felt more than realised how his shoulders pulled up to his ears and his free hand curled around his chest as if to protect himself from a yet unknown threat. 

‘It’s Isabelle, my sister. I told you about her, remember?’ Though Alexander didn’t look at Magnus, his voice was soft and soothing, much like he’d sounded when they’d first got to know each other. It didn’t work all that well or soon then, and it still didn’t know. A soft whimper escaped form my lips and I closed my eyes, unwilling to face whatever was about to come. He didn’t fail to notice Alec hadn’t answered his second question.  
‘Is she going to take me away from here?’ 

‘What? No! Magnus, no one will take you away if you don’t want to, you don’t need to be scared!’ 

‘Please make her go away,’ he asked, still without opening his eyes. His head sunk down to his chest and he pulled Alec closer by his shirt until the top of his head rested against his stomach. This way, he could feel how it stretched when Alexander sighed. A moment later, tentative fingers curled into his hair, and Magnus pressed his lips together, fighting the warring instincts inside of him.  
One part told him to pull away. Far, far away where no human would ever find him ever again. Deep in the ocean, surrounded by cool, calming water.  
The other part wanted to stay still and relax and feel how the fingers softly stroked the back of his head. How strands of hair slipped between them and how careful they always appeared to be.  
And a third side made him tense up, made his skin crawl like electricity pulsed underneath and his chest constrict. He trusted Alec, and wanted to trust his sister too, but it was just too much. Too soon. He didn’t want her here. He didn’t. He couldn’t. This human he didn’t know, so close to uncovering the secret of his people. 

‘Please. Alec. Please make her go.’

‘All right. But you’ll need to let go of me first.’ He didn’t want to. Alec would leave if he let him go. He didn’t want the other to leave he alone, he wanted him there, by his side. _But I did want Isabelle to leave. At least for the moment. Until I could think clearly, until I’d calmed down. Maybe for a day of five._ Slowly his fingers let go of the fabric.

‘I’ll be right back, don’t worry.’ And of course Alexander would know what was going through Magnus’ head. 

And then he was gone. Through the crack in the door, he could hear Alec talking to his sister, and he laid down on his side while listening to the sound of his voice that’d gotten so familiar so fast. He heard the words “separation anxiety”, and absentmindedly listened to Alexander explaining to his sister that Magnus was afraid she wouldn’t like him and make Alec break up with him. 

He looked down at his feet and wondered what a “break up” was. It didn’t sound nice. He hoped Alec wouldn’t break up with him. There were ten tiny toes on his feet, and he amused himself by wriggling them, trying to curl only the smallest ones. It was hard and didn’t work out all that well. The others kept moving with it.  
He was too tired to try out anything else though. Tired wasn’t the right word for it though. It was too flimsy and innocent. Magnus felt exhausted. It was a bone-deep ache weighing him down and making his eyes droop. Even though he’d slept part of the day away, his head and limbs felt so heavy. He couldn’t be brought to move them anymore now that he’d laid down. Somewhere, a door closed and his eyes slipped shut, part of the tension that’d gripped him ever since he’d laid eyes on Isabelle finally seeping away and making him melt into the softness of the bed.

-

In his dream, he was back on the beach. The nets cut into his arms, neck, chest. Deeper, deeper with every move and they _hurt_.  
God, they hurt so much.

He couldn’t get out. He needed to get out, but they hurt and he was tired and he just wanted to rest. Just one moment. He closed his eyes and prayed one of his friends would notice him missing and go look for him quickly, but he knew that was unlikely. Mermaids often went off on their own, sometimes for days on end. They had their own warning systems, but he couldn’t use the sounds out of the water, and he didn’t think he could fall asleep no matter how exhausted he felt. Not with the nets cutting into his flesh. 

The footsteps that’d approached him were so soft he thought they were a hallucination of his lost mind. He only realized they were real when something hit the sand close by. 

It must’ve been a human. He could practically feel them looming over him, and adrenaline shot through him. His eyes shot open and took in the tall figure and all he could think was: _No, no no no no no no no no._ And when they kneeled: _Don’t touch me, don’t touch me, don’t touch me. Stay away!_

Blind panic coloured the dream in bright red tones, and his heart sped up, faster, faster, chased forth by his breathing. His eyes burned and his hands would be shaking if they could move at all. He needed to get away and he needed help and he didn’t want to die, he didn’t! He needed help. Help. Help. Help.

-

When he woke up, he felt something wet covering his face, and he dazedly brought up his hand to feel it. He wasn’t in the sea. Wasn’t even in the tub anymore. He was surrounded by soft, warm, dry fabric and he had no idea how his cheeks had gotten wet. 

Rubbing it away, he looked around the room. It was covered in darkness, so he figured it must’ve been night, but he didn’t see Alec. Didn’t he have to sleep? Had he woken him and chased him away with his nightmare that wasn’t just a nightmare?

Magnus was suddenly overcome with the desire to have Alec there with him. To sooth him and caress his hair and tell him everything would be all right, even though he didn’t have any way of knowing it would. He wanted to hear his voice and listen to his stories and not be afraid of this world he didn’t know anything about, and had yet headfirst thrown himself into.  
Why didn’t he every think before doing something? Why did he have to make such bad decisions? Now here he was, stuck in a body he couldn’t even use properly, in a world he didn’t understand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was so quickly! I just had to write this and some time suddenly opened up so here we are!  
> A bit of explanation that I didn't feel fitted into the story completely: Upon encountering traumatic events, when mermaids are still stressed if they fall asleep, they relive the trauma in the form of a nightmare. This nightmare is then "broadcasted" to other sleeping mermaids as a call for help. This is how mermaids get most of their information about humans, which is a big part of the fear, rumors, and believes that've formed around them.  
> (This made much more sense inside of my head.)
> 
> Thank you all for your comments, kudos and love! They make me so happy! :)


	9. Chapter 9

When Alec woke up, he was on the couch, just like when he’d fallen asleep. His hand was hanging over the edge and his feet was laying across his ankle, causing it to fall asleep. Sharp pinpricks moved through the offending limb when he began to slowly move it in a small circle. 

What wasn't the same, was the form of a slim boy curled up on the carpet covering the floor. Long limbs pressed in between the coffee table and the couch. 

Magnus looked beautiful in sleep. Now, Alec thought he was beautiful mist of the time, but sleeping as peacefully as he was now, he was especially captivating. There was no suspicion on his face, no drawn eyebrows or caution. His face was smoother than ever, as if he didn't have a worry in the world. Different from the way he looked when he was having a nightmare. 

Alec had enough worries to last them both though. Worries and questions alike drifting through his mind, each one depending more attention than the other. The tumbled around and over each other, like a confusing whirlwind: hard to really focus on, but impossible to ignore.  
What had happened to Magnus to make him like this? Could he go back? What did he have to tell his family (seeing as by now, Izzy had probably told both Jace and Max about his "boyfriend")? Could Magnus survive in this body? He didn't eat a single thing before, did he have to now? How did he even get here? When Alec had last seen him, he'd been sleeping soundly in bed, and he before that, he hadn't really given up an impression of being able to move around on his own. Alec had quickly carried him into his bedroom, making up some excuse to Izzy about how he’d sprained his ankle the day before and how that was probably the reason he’d fallen in the first place. 

With a sigh, he rubbed his hands down his face before shredding his blanket to drape it over the sleeping boy. He didn’t know how long he’d been there and whether or not the merman – ex-merman – would need it, but he felt like better doing it. With a last look back down at Magnus, he climbed over the back of the couch, beginning the trek to the kitchen to make breakfast. Tomorrow, he had to go back to university and in an ideal world, he’d have this day off to lounge around, maybe hit the gym, get a head start on the coursework of the coming semester or something. Now, he didn’t dare expect anything anymore. For all he knew, he would open up a kitchen cabinet and an octopus would fall out. 

And although no octopus fell out, the moment he opened the cabinet to take out the salt, his name was being called from the living room.   
‘Coming, Magnus!’ After a moment to put down the bowl of eggs he’d been mixing, he went back to where he’d left Magnus sleeping on the floor. The other boy was now sitting up, the blanket pooling in this lap and leaning haphazardly against the front of the couch. ‘Good morning?’ It sounded more like a question than he’d meant it to.

‘Alexander.’ Magnus looked up at him with drooping eyes before holding out his hands. A laugh escaped his lips. He looked like a giant three year old, demanding to be picked up. Gripping his hands, he pulled him to his feet before helping him back to the kitchen. It was strange seeing Magnus like this. Before, he’d always been looking down on the other, either on the beach or in the bath. Now, leaning heavily on his shoulder and with his newly acquired legs, Magnus was taller than him by about two inches. It did things to him, looking down on those long legs covered in his own too-short track pants. 

‘I was just making breakfast,’ he said, carefully helping Magnus into one of the chairs around the table standing half in and half next to his kitchen (he refused to call it a kitchenette, finding it too French for his liking. He’d been to France once and was almost robbed twice, punching the first one himself while Jace had to take care of the second one because Alec’d felt so guilty towards the first guy.). ‘Did you sleep well?’ He didn’t expect Magnus to tell him how he’d ended up beside the couch, and he didn’t do so. Instead he slumped over the table, stretching out his arms in front of him and resting his cheek on the wood. And whining.   
Definitely a three year old. 

‘Are you okay there?’ He looked back over his shoulder to see his pout. 

‘I’m tired and I miss my colourful nails.’ His nails weren’t black or white or orange anymore, like they’d been before. Instead, they were a rather plain shade of pink, much like his own. Alec let out a soft snicker, turning back to the stove and pouring some of the eggs into the frying pan. 

‘You can go back to sleep later, I would feel better if you’d eat something. Do you know if your body needs food? If you’re really human, you’ll need to. So you should eat something. As for your nails, I’m sorry you can’t change them to match your tail anymore,’ – seeing as he didn’t even have a tail to match them with – ‘but if you want to, I can ask Isabelle to bring over some of her nail polish? You could pick any colour you’d like. I’m pretty sure she’s got every shade of every colour you can possibly imagine.’  
‘No, I don’t want Isabelle here.’ Something latched onto the back of his shirt and the next moment he was assaulted by the full mass of a clingy, weak-legged Magnus. It was probably a good thing he now had legs instead of his heavy tail, because otherwise he would’ve definitely collapsed under the added weight. As it was, he staggered under the still-heavier-than-you’d-guess merman. _How could someone that slim still weight that much?_ he asked himself as he automatically brought up a hand to steady the other.

Magnus’ arms wrapped around his waist and he buried himself in his neck, earning a laugh from Alec when his nose tickled the skin there. 

‘You’re very affectionate today,’ he commented, trying keep himself, Magnus, the eggs and the frying pan safe.  
‘I’m always affectionate,’ he mumbled into his skin. Or rather, Alec guessed that was what he was saying, as it came out a bit muffled.   
‘No, you’re not.’ Now, a real laugh escaped him, and he gently prodded at Magnus with the spatula.   
‘Yes, I am.’

‘Well, you should go sit down before you make us both collapse onto the floor.’ Magnus whined, making Alec laugh once more. He felt a bit high, like he was running on adrenaline. It was the way he felt when hitting the centre of a target with his bow and arrow, or after practicing with his siblings, or finishing an exam and knowing you’ve aced it. He probably was though, he didn’t know how he would’ve still been on his feet after everything otherwise. This was like a day-long adrenaline rush. He’d probably be crashing sometime soon. Was surprised it hadn’t already happened, really. 

 

Not much later, Magnus was back in his chair, taking in the scrambled eggs on the plate in front of him. He was biting on his fork in a contemplating manner. 

‘I don’t know if you need it. My courses never covered mermaids, let alone ex-mermaids. But if you’re human now, you’d probably need to eat something.’ Alec clenched his fists after throwing all that out before taking a deep breath, trying to gather the courage to ask what he really wanted to know. Maybe this wasn’t the right time, he thought to himself. But then again: what would be the right time for this kind of talk? And Alec knew himself. If he didn’t do this now - if he talked himself out of it once – he would keep on making up excuses and never ask him at all. ‘Magnus… If you don’t mind me asking. Could you… How did you become human?’ 

Magnus, who’d just taken a small bite of his eggs and had scrunched up his face at the taste of them, now looked up with a face as blank as a sheet of paper, colour draining away – which was quite a feat when you had lovely caramel skin.

‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. Sorry. Don’t answer that.’ Mortified, Alec focussed back on his plate when Magnus didn’t respond for a few seconds. He was gripping his fork so tightly, he jumped and almost poked Magnus with the piece of cutlery when he placed his hand on his wrist.   
The merman wasn’t looking at him, instead gazing intently at the table when he said: ‘I’m not sure, but I’ve got some ideas. The most probable of which: I’ve been cursed.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? Some kind of plot development? It's almost like a... conflict of sorts? *gasps*
> 
> It isn't all that long, but hey, when are my chapters really? Hihi.   
> I hope you've like it, if so, please let me know. Also: thank you for all so much your kudos and comments!
> 
> Lots of love!


	10. Chapter 10

Alec knew he was gaping. He shouldn't be surprised really, because, he'd had pretty much every crazy thing thrown at him the last few days. But of course Magnus was cursed. Because nothing could ever be simple, or easy. 

'Cursed?' He brought out after a few minutes of staring, while Magnus slowly put little pieces of egg into his mouth. 'Like, by a sea witch?'  
A snort escaped Magnus, but he didn’t look up when he muttered: ‘More like a sea bitch.’

He brought his hands up to card them through his hair. _Why could nothing ever be easy? Here he was, housing a humanoid turned mermaid, who was apparently cursed by someone who may or may not be a witch._ ‘Cursed. Of course. Of course, why not. And is there any way we can reverse this bitch’s curse?’

Something flickered across Magnus’ face at his words, but it was gone so quickly, Alec had no chance to identify what is was. He was twirling his fork and biting his lip for a moment, before replying: ‘I think so. But I’d have to ask someone just to be sure. Without knowing what’s happening in the sea…’ He trailed off, looking out of the window towards the small strip of sea visible from where he sat.

‘So… We’d have to ask someone who knows what’s going on in the sea? Do you know anyone who could help us?’ Alec tried to bring Magnus back to the future.

‘These taste funny.’ Magnus pushed his half-empty plate away and once more spread himself out across the table. His eyes were closed and he let out a content sigh before murmuring: ‘I do know someone. But they won’t come out during the day.’

-

And so, they waited for the day to end. Alec had managed to get Magnus on the couch, as he promptly refused to stay alone in the bedroom again. He spend most of his day sleeping or inspecting his new legs; stretching them out above him, running his hands alone the new, smooth skin. Feeling the bones and muscles stretch every time he moved them. It all reminded Alec of when Magnus was inspecting his own legs, and was that only two days ago? He felt as if he’d known Magnus for so much longer, it was strange to think he’d only found him days ago. 

While Magnus’d taken over the couch, Alec was sitting at his desk. He’d ordered a few last-minute textbooks (he always put it off, because they were so ridiculously expensive), and began reading some of the studies that’d been put online and would be covered in the first couple of classes. After finishing the third one (which was probably three more than the rest of his class would’ve read by the end of the semester), he looked back over his shoulder to check whether Magnus was still asleep. He wasn’t proud of what he was going to do, because it felt like going behind the other’s back, but he just wanted to help. There wasn’t much he could do right now to make Magnus better, but he could do this.

He opened google and began reading everything he could concerning mermaids, sea witches and curses. Most of what he found were conspiracy theories or folklore, but really, what did he expect? Sites publishing scientific researches brought up books and literature and cased of babies born with both legs grown together. 

 

He was pulled out of his research by a small groan coming from the couch. Turning around in the chair, he found Magnus laying with his legs pulled up to his chest, a small crease between his eyebrows. 

Was he having a nightmare?

Just as he thought of the possibility, his eyes opened and immediately found Alec’s own. This of course, did nothing to ease Alec’s nerves. Quite the opposite really. He want into full-on panic mode, tipping over his chair and rushing to where Magnus was laying on the sofa.

‘Magnus, hey. Mags, are you all right?’ But just as quickly as the crease and pain appeared, they also disappeared again.

‘My stomach was hurting, but it’s gone now?’ The look on his face was now one of confusion as a soft rumble came from his stomach once more. ‘It’s weird.’

Alec sighed and leaned his head on the side of one of the cushions, leaning for a moment while contemplating why he could never keep calm around Magnus. Even now, his heart was racing and breathing a bit fast from the adrenaline rush. The moment he’d noticed something was wrong, his mind had jumped to the worst conclusions. He’d envisioned Magnus dying, blood soaking the couch and screaming, his body trying to do something it no longer could. 

‘I think you’re hungry,’ he said, looking up at the golden-eyed boy. ‘I’ll make something to eat.’ A small smile appeared on his lips while he watched them. 

‘No eggs?’

-

 

By the time night was falling, Alec and Magnus had begun the trek towards the beach. Magnus’ legs and balance had steadily improved over the course of the day, but taking more than four steps was still a challenge. 

So, making the four minute walk to the beach was a bit of a struggle. 

‘Are you okay?’ Alec asked about halfway through on one of their many breaks. Magnus was sitting on a low bench, legs spread out in front of him and eyes taking in everything around him. His pupils were dilated and lips slightly parted while studying his surroundings with a curious gaze. Maybe this was all too much stimulation for today. Maybe they should’ve waited until tomorrow, when Magnus was more used to his new legs.  
‘Yeah. Yeah, fine,’ and just like that, out of the blue, Magnus grabbed Alec’s hand to help himself up and they were moving once more.

When they finally reached the beach, the sun had set and the streets were more quiet. It was the time of night before all the party-goers went out, but when most others had just returned to their homes to enjoy a peaceful evening inside. 

Magnus and Alec went to a small cluster of rocks at the water’s edge where they would be at least partially shielded in case someone walked by. 

‘Ragnor! Catarina!’ Magnus stage whispered. He was crouching at the edge of the water, the tide covering his toes every few seconds. The soft rushing of the sea seemed to absorb every other sound, the few cars still crossing town barely audible so close to the ocean. It was a quality Alec – who often preferred calm and silence over the hustle and bustle of everyday – often appreciated. Now, it took Magnus’ voice far away, making it disappear in the darkness. 

 

After calling, Magnus sat still. Alec watched him, but his form gave nothing away. No sign of impatience or worry. Even when more and more minutes began ticking away without anything happening, Magnus sat still. 

It took about ten minutes for Alec to start worrying. And just fifteen minutes for Alec to start fretting. He glanced at his watch every few seconds, pulling out his phone and putting it away when he realised nothing had come in. Twisting his hands and rubbing his fingers across each other.

 

‘Stop. They’ll come.’ Surprised, Alec looked up at Magnus once more, but the other boy hadn’t moved.

-

It took almost half an hour, but Alec knew something was happening the moment Magnus shifted. His hands landed in the water as he leaned forward, and he stared out into the darkness at something Alec couldn’t see. Sitting up more straight, he tried to look past Magnus, but he only saw dark water reflecting a little bit of light where the clouds parted enough to let it come through. 

 

Suddenly, the water broke. Drops flew onto the beach, a soft crash of water as something disturbed the calm surface. A dark figure appeared just an arm length away from where Magnus was sitting.  
‘Magnus!’ A female voice breathed out, relieve noticeable even to Alec, who didn’t know her. ‘You’re alive!’ 

‘Cat! As you just stated, yes, I’m still alive, fortunately enough. Unfortunately, I’ve apparently turned human. What is going on? Have you heard something?’ Alec’s eyes drifted to Magnus. He sounded different. More sure, confident. He spoke up in a way he hadn’t done when talking to Alec. His voice carried a hint of authority only someone used to being listened to had about them.

‘Camille.’

‘I knew it was her who did this to me, that bitch,’ Magnus groaned, sounding furious but calm at the same time. ‘Do you know what this stupid curse entrails? Or was it just to sprite me by making me human?’

‘I don’t know for sure, no one knows really. Word is, Camille cast a spell that would kill you within five days unless you found someone who truly loved you.’

 

All right. So. No pressure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A wild Camille appears! Sorta.
> 
> And Catarina! My sweet blue friend.
> 
> I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, it feels rushed, but there's plot development?  
> Let me know, I guess.
> 
> Also, I've started another fic featuring Malec, and I'm very inspired for that one, so I try to spent my time evenly as to not let anything die out.


	11. Chapter 11

The sea was lapping at his feet with a soothing gentleness. The coolness of the waves covering his toes as they washed over him. The sounds of the sea at night were the same as always: soft rustling of water crashing on the sand, seagulls cawing in the distance. 

It didn’t sooth Magnus at all. He didn’t think he needed soothing, really. He didn’t feel sad, or angry, or afraid. He felt nothing, really. What was left to feel? This was the end. And he didn’t even care. His chest was like an open, gaping wound, his heart ripped out of it to leave nothing in its wake. Detached from everything. He didn’t care.

Far away, he could hear a familiar voice. It sounded upset, but he didn’t know who it was or why they sounded like that. Why would they care? He didn’t even care himself. Maybe something was going on? He should probably look, but couldn’t bring himself to open his eyes. Head turned towards the cooling sand, arms clasped around his chest, clutching at his elbows. Moving seemed like a herculean task at the moment.

His eyes burned.

Warm fingers trailed down the side of his face, and the voice was closer, but he didn’t want it to be. He wanted to be left alone. He wanted to be done with this.

A shiver ran down his spine as the warmth disappeared, and once more when his feet were suddenly out of the water. 

The world shifted and turned and tumbled like a dolphin on the waves and he felt sick and warm and hopeless and safe and finally: sad. Sadness spread through him because the feeling of being pressed this close against someone felt so familiar. The calm rhythm reminded him of drifting on top of the waves, letting them carry him without a care in the world, sure of the fact that they would take care of him.

Like Alexander took care of him.

 _‘Shh, it’s all right. I’m here.’_ Alexander. Alec. Alec. Alexander. _‘I’m here Magnus.’_

His eyes still burned. 

He couldn’t breathe. He was gasping and he could feel the air moving past his lips, but didn’t know where it went to after that. It felt like it just disappeared in the hole that had taken over his body. Streaming out of hidden gills he didn’t have anymore. 

Everything was black. Had he closed his eyes again? The darkness was like a heavy blanket dropped over the world to block out any light. 

He wanted to see the moon. Wanted to see it so badly, but his eyes were screwed shut. 

Maybe he was dead already. Maybe this was all a dream. 

He couldn’t remember what he’d felt like before all this happened. Couldn’t even remember why he would want to remember. Why remember when it would all be gone soon anyway? He just wanted to be done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, I'm having a bit of a block at the moment. So I just went and wrote some angsty feelings because that's what I do. 
> 
> I regret nothing, hihi


	12. Chapter 12

Alec was getting scared. Magnus had been as unresponsive as could be the last couple of hours. Ever since Caterina left, he hadn’t spoken a word in response to Alec’s questions or prodding. The only things that convinced him he hadn’t passed out were his soft whimpers, his laboured breaths. His contorted face. The occasional sob, though no tears were to be seen.

It was way past midnight now, and Alec had placed Magnus on his bed after carefully rubbing the dried sand off his feet and taking off his now dirty and wet, rumpled clothes. Alec had climbed in behind the merman, slinging an arm along his waist. Though he didn’t know whether Magnus would approve if he was coherent, and neither where his own courage had come from, he felt the other needed this. He was getting a bit tired himself, but he didn’t want to fall asleep before the other boy. Magnus’ muscles were tense underneath his touch, not giving in to the exhaustion Alec himself felt tugging at the edges of his consciousness. 

-

At some time along the course of the night, Alec must’ve fallen asleep, because suddenly, he opened his eyes and Magnus was no longer to be seen.

‘Magnus?’ He called frantically, sitting up and taking in the rest of the too-small bedroom. There was no way he could be there without Alec noticing. His heart started beating faster as he looked around once more. ‘Magnus!’

Standing up and making his way into the living room, Alec noticed the bathroom door was slightly ajar. 

_Magnus!_ , he thought, running towards the door and pulling it open. The merman was laying in the tub, curled into foetal position and facing the far wall. Water filled the tub almost to the edge, but almost half as much as it was on the floor, causing Alec to slip on his first step. He grabbed the sink to avoid hitting the ground himself. 

‘Mags,’ he whispered as soon as he got his footing back. ‘Are you okay? Magnus?’ For a second, he was afraid this was going to end the same way as last night, with Magnus too much in shock to answer to anything. Then, he slowly shook his head. 

‘O, Mags.’ He kneeled next to the tub, putting out a hand and carefully placing it on the limb, wet hair – one of the few things not submerged in the water. ‘It’ll be all right, you know? We’ll figure this out.’

That was apparently the only thing that could snap the merman out of his stupor for real. He turned so fast a new splash of water soaked Alec’s shirt. The two looked at each other, and though Magnus’ eyes weren’t as empty as they were last night, they were red and swollen like they hadn’t been before. His eyebrows pulled together, and he looked almost angry at Alec for suggesting something like that.

‘No it won’t.’

‘Of course it will-’

‘No it won’t! You don’t get it Alec. Camille designed this curse for _me_! No one’s _ever_ loved me! My parents didn’t love me enough. She didn’t. No one ever did!’ A hand came out of the water and pressed over his mouth, stifling a sob. His shoulders shook and his eyes pressed shut and Alec’s heart broke into one million pieces. 

That was when he realised. He loved the merman enough to feel his heart break when seeing his pain. That the panic would swell in his chest when he didn’t see him upon waking up. And it was scaring him because he’d barely known the other for _days._

 _‘I love you,’_ he whispered so softly he could barely hear it himself. He could barely admit it to himself, let alone to someone else. Even though he knew it was true – he felt it. His heart beating faster at his own words. But somehow – Magnus heard him. He turned his head and looked at the boy with wide eyes. His bottom lip wobbled and Alec put out a hand to cup his cheek.

‘You what? Don’t mess with me, Alec.’

‘I’m not. I wouldn’t dare. I… I love you Magnus. I don’t know how, or why, but I‘ve never felt like this before. You make me smile when you’re happy. And make my heart break when you cry. It feels like I’ve known you for years because I feel like I can tell you everything, but I don’t, if only because my head tells me I shouldn’t.’

Magnus’ hands came up to wind in his shirt, pulling him close. His face buried in Alec’s, and the student brought up his arms to wrap around the other’s shoulders. He could feel the merman shaking as he pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head. 

-

They sat like that for most of the day. Magnus was still slowly falling apart under his hands, water was soaking into the seat of his pants, and into his shirt where Magnus pressed his head into his neck. 

‘Don’t you need to go to your classes today?’   
Crap. Class… He’d totally forgot about it up until now. But…

‘You’re more important than class.’ The other boy’s shoulders shook as he silently laughed. He could feel Magnus shaking his head, as if not believing Alec could say something like that. Say something like that to _him_. ‘Do you want to get out of the tub now?’

-

Magnus was sitting on the edge of the tub. He was wearing the same, now soaked boxers he’d worn when Alec had put him to bed. Two golden eyes were staring up at Alec, but instead of dead and empty like they were last night, they were now full of adoration and hope. He didn’t move, instead sitting still as a statue. As if moving would break some kind of spell. Alec was slowly dragging a towel over his shoulders, chest, legs. It could have been sensual, but this wasn’t like that. No matter how beautiful Magnus was, this wasn’t the time. This was about taking care of someone.

‘Alexander.’ Magnus’ voice was really soft as he whispered Alec’s name. Looking up, he could see the other biting his lips. Then, a shaking hand came up to cup his cheek, just like he’d done himself after he’d first talked to the merman earlier that day. ‘Thank you.’

‘You don’t need to thank me.’

‘I do. You saved me. In more than one way.’

‘That’s what you do when you care for someone.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Here's the last chapter. I had a lot of trouble writing this. I couldn't see this story going anywhere anymore, but I tried my best to wrap this up in some way. I'm sorry this story won't be longer, but hopefully, you all liked this anyway.  
> Thank you all for your support! You were great!!

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think!


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